Why is it called the Camp Fire? Here's how wildfires actually get their names

How a wildfire name originates often combines only two elements, who's there and where it's at.

Author:
Staff (ABC10)

Published:
10:24 AM PST November 10, 2018

Updated:
10:54 AM PST November 10, 2018

Wildfires often become known by a name. How that name originates is often a combination of a dispatcher or fire official and the area where a fire starts.

Most of the time, dispatchers designate a name for the fire as they send the first resources to the wildfire. However, engines and fire officials that arrive to the scene also have the ability to give the fire its name.

Fires are often named after the area where they start. Dispatchers or fire officials use a geographical location, a local landmark, a street, a lake, a mountain, or a peak to name the fire.

For example, the fire that started at Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road in Whiskeytown became known as the Carr Fire. The fire in Cedar Creek Falls in 2003 would be later be known as the Cedar Fire.